Sports
Zambia Denies Registration Of Banned Players
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has denied that it transferred and registered players while they were banned for match-fixing in Finland.
FIFA has opened an investigation into the matter, which involves eight players who were allegedly transferred without an international transfer certificate and outside of the registration period.
Football’s world governing body has said that “at least four of the eight players apparently played in official matches in Zambia despite being suspended on a worldwide basis.”
The Zambian players were banned from all football-related activity by the Finnish federation for two years from April 2011 for match-fixing and unsporting behaviour.
Fifa subsequently extended the ban worldwide.
Eric Mwanza, FAZ’s communications manager and spokesman, noted.
Sport that the body did all it could to ensure the players’ suspensions had been fully served before they were given permission to play again.
“Because the players had served their punishments in Finland, meted out by the Finnish FA and the Finnish courts they were free to play,” he said.
“We are very confident the case will be dropped”
“Those players who had served their bans registered with one or two clubs in Zambia. We registered them at the start of the 2012 season.
“One or two players featured in the first two weeks of the season, before Fifa imposed a worldwide ban on the players.
“The moment that happened we applied that ban locally and suspended the players in line with what was an additional sanction from the world governing body.”
Fifa began disciplinary proceedings against Faz on 19 February and invited the body to explain its reasoning along with any appropriate documentary evidence.
Mwanza is confident that his organisation can show it has done nothing wrong.
“We welcome the investigation. We would like to state very clearly that we detest the abhorrent acts that bring the good name of the game into a bad light,” he said.
“We do not condone whatsoever any acts of match-fixing. Our position is well known and very clear, there would be severe sanctions and punishment, but we have not had incidents of this nature in our football.
“We are happy to provide all the information to FIFA so it can look at the circumstances under which one or two players played in the first weeks of the season, and how we acted swiftly to impose the ban later communicated to us by FIFA.
“Not one of these players has played in the league since FIFA’s ban came into force. All the documentation is ready and we hope the matter can be cleared.
“We are very confident the case will be dropped.”
Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal was sentenced to two years in prison last year for fixing matches in Finland in a scandal that saw nine players suspended.
A Lapland district court statement at the time said Perumal had been part of an international organised group that tried to fix matches played by Rovaniemi club between June 2008 and February 2011.
Perumal paid players up to 20,000 Euros (US$26,400) per match and received up to 50,000 Euros, in addition to some of the betting profits, each time the results were fixed.
Match-fixing has become a huge concern for football authorities with European police and prosecutors saying this month that hundreds of games may have been rigged by a syndicate being run from Singapore.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
Female wrestlers in action at Governor Diri Wrestling Classics.
Ondo State wrestlers dominated the women’s events on Day six of the fourth Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa on Monday, claiming gold medals in two of the four women’s freestyle categories.
African champion Khadijat Idris of Ondo State led the charge in the 55kg division, defeating rising talent Mary Ayeloh of Bayelsa State by technical superiority to claim gold. Happiness Soso of Delta State and Augustine Rhoda of Lagos State took bronze medals in the category.
Damola Ojo also flew the Ondo flag proudly in the 76kg event, retaining her title after defeating all opponents in a round-robin format. Nigeria Army wrestler Laide Ojo settled for silver, while Juliet Ogo of Bayelsa State and Mercy Alison of Abia State each claimed bronze.
In the 62kg category, Patience Kakanda of Bayelsa State produced the upset of the day, defeating Nigeria Army’s Precious Tieberi 3-1 in the final to be crowned the new champion. Isioma Abojei of Delta State and Blessing Apah of Dynamite Club won bronze medals.
Rivers State’s Esther Asaolu also retained her title in the 59kg division, overcoming all her opponents in the round-robin format, with Patience Opuene of Bayelsa State finishing as runner-up.
In the men’s events, Solomon Ulabo of Bayelsa State claimed gold in the 79kg category, with Kpum Ayibasisei of Edo State taking silver and Rasheed Saliu of Ondo State and Ebisindei Okorie of Dynamite Club winning bronze. NewLife Ebikeme of Bayelsa State won the 92kg gold, ahead of Perezidei Obaze of Edo State in silver position, while Tobechukwu Udeh of the Nigeria Army and Timilehin Adekanmi of Ondo State claimed bronze medals.
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